Press Releases

CAN Europe employee denied entry to Poland to participate in COP24

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Category: Press Releases

Published: 07 December 2018

Updated on 8 December 2018, 1.30am: Just before Zanna was put on the train back to Vienna, the Polish government recognised its mistake and allowed her to enter Poland. At the moment, we dont have information about the other activists who have been denied entry and/or deported.

CAN Europe’s Climate Ambition Project Coordinator, Zanna Vanrenterghem has been denied entry to Poland to attend the UN climate summit COP24. During the last days, Polish authorities have denied entry and/or deported at least 13 members of civil society groups that were due to attend the COP24 climate talks.

Polish authorities are unable to give any plausible reasons to send Zanna back, except for accusing her of being a “threat to a national security”. The real reason might be that she is one of the co-organizers of the recent Claim the Climate March in Belgium, with over 65 000 participants, including Belgian Federal Minister of Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Marie-Christine E.F. Marghem. Claim the Climate March in Belgium was a historic moment in Belgium, and added great momentum to the international climate summit in COP24 by making it clear that people demand urgent climate action.

“It is appalling and a disgrace that one of our collaborators who successfully co-organised a March of 65.000 people in Brussels last week has been denied entry into Poland. People are demanding climate action from our governments and should be supported for doing so. The Polish government is afraid to see the reality that also they need to act.”

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe's leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. With over 150 member organisations from 35 European countries, representing over 1.700 NGOs and more than 40 million citizens, CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.